Iraq
says in final stages of talks on gas project
Iraq
to sign $1.2 bln oil service deal with China
Talks continue for Iraq oil service deal-BP
exec
DNO eyes Iraq export license after Q2 tops
fcast
Iraq repudiates oil deal with Russia's LUKOIL
Iraq to
import fuel from Iran
The Powers
That Are Divided among Themselves
House of Saddam
###
Billions of cubic meters of gas which come up together with extracted oil
have been and still being burnt by Iraq which is an incredible waste. This
project planned and started but not finished since over 30 years is really
urgent !
Iraq
says in final stages of talks on gas project, Reuters
BAGHDAD, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Iraq is in the final stages of negotiations with
a large global oil company on a joint venture to produce and export natural gas,
Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani was quoted as saying on Tuesday. "Now
we are in the final stages of talks with one of the biggest global companies to
establish a joint venture, in which Iraq will hold the largest stake, to collect
and produce the gas, to supply electric power and liquify the surplus and export
it," Shahristani said in an interview with the an-Noor newspaper.
Shahristani did not mention the name of the company involved. Iraq has been
in negotiations for a gas deal with Royal Dutch Shell for
several months to collect gas that Iraq burns off at oilfields and Shahristani
has previously said he planned to sign the deal this summer.
--------------
If the terms of this service contract are fair to Iraq this is a positive
move which should set the trend to future contracts and strengthen the
negotiating position of Iraq with IOC's.
Iraq
to sign $1.2 bln oil service deal with China, Reuters
By Ahmed Rasheed
BAGHDAD, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Iraq will soon sign its first big international
oil deal since the fall of Saddam Hussein, a $1.2 billion oil service contract
with China, oil minister Hussain al-Shahristani was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
The deal covers a small field producing just 90,000 barrels per day and replaces
an earlier deal signed under Saddam. But the terms described by Shahristani give
a clue to the tough line Baghdad is likely to take in deals with other foreign
firms.
It replaces a production sharing agreement that would have given a Chinese
firm a long-term stake in profits from the Adhab oilfield with a services
contract in which the Chinese receive fees for work, but Baghdad keeps the
future profits.
"We have held talks with (the Chinese) for a year, and the terms of the
deal were changed to a service contract. The Chinese have agreed on that, with a
value of $1.2 billion," Shahristani told the an-Noor newspaper.
----------------
Talks
continue for Iraq oil service deal-BP exec, Reuters
"As far as we are concerned, negotiations
continue over the technical service contract," Steve Peacock, president of
BP's Middle East and South Asia exploration and production unit, told Reuters.
He declined to give further details.
The coordinator for Iraq's economic transition at
the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Charles Ries, said on Sunday that Iraq's government
may drop all of the contracts.
Iraq had aimed to sign the deals in June, but
disagreement over payment terms and other issues have delayed them.
-----------------
Gambling on Iraqi politics
DNO
eyes Iraq export license after Q2 tops fcast, Reuters
A Reuters survey of nine analysts predicted a
fall to 110 million crowns, with forecasts ranging from 81 million to 141
million, due to decreasing production in Yemen and rising costs.
Unlike most of its peers, DNO did not take full
advantage of high global oil prices because it sells the bulk of its oil on
local Iraqi markets where prices are lower.
"DNO will face a step change in production
volumes once export of oil from the Tawke field (in northern Iraq) is permitted.
Until then, DNO expects the working interest production to remain stable,"
DNO said in a statement.
"Based on the discoveries made during the
first six months combined with the exploration programme going forward, the
company expects to see a further growth in the reserves and resources during
2008."
DNO has repeatedly said that it expects to win an
export license from Iraq sometime during 2008.
-----------------
Iraq
repudiates oil deal with Russia's LUKOIL, Reuters
BAGHDAD, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Iraq's oil minister has repudiated a Saddam
Hussein-era contract with Russia's largest private oil company LUKOIL (LKOH.MM: Quote,
Profile,
Research,
Stock Buzz), saying
the contract was "totally unfair," an Iraqi newspaper reported on
Tuesday. "Relating to the Russian contract, it was signed with the former
regime for political reasons and scrapped by the former regime also for
political reasons," Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said in an
interview with the an-Noor newspaper.
--------------
Iran enhances its political grip with economic influence
Iraq
to import fuel from Iran, Azzaman
Iran has
agreed to ferry 1 million liters of fuel to Iraq to meet domestic needs for its
rickety power plants, Iraqi ambassador to Tehran said. Mohammed al-Sheikh said
the deal under which Iran will furnish Iraq with fuel was signed during the
recent visit by Deputy Prime Minister Burhem Saleh to Iran.
-----------------
A follow
up of Iraqi politics
19 August 2008: The Powers
That Are Divided among Themselves, http://www.historiae.org/notebook.asp
Recent events in Diyala provide yet another indication that all is not well
inside Iraq’s ruling establishment, especially with regard to its dominant
component of Shiite Islamists.
-------------
Blogger
corner
House
of Saddam, mixmode
House of Saddam is a four
episodes TV drama that charts the rise and fall of Saddam Hussein from 1979 to
2003. A co-production between BBC Television and HBO films, the series began on
Wednesday 30th July on BBC Two in four parts. I watched episode one of the show,
till now, and first impression is having actors with comics-like facial
resemblance to the real persons was deliberate - Saddam was much more skinnier
that Yigal Naor when he was vice president - Saddam started to gain weight
during the Iraq-Iran war. This also include all other characters in the entire
show, such as a teenager look-alike Barzan (Saddam half brother), a plumpy funny
Ali Hasan Al Majid, and a big headed gloomy-faced Tariq Aziz. Having a handsome
Hussain Kamel Al Majid (played by whom I consider a genies and brilliant young
Egyptian actor Amr Waked) can prove more to this formula.
Past Editorials
March:
31,
30,
29,
27,
26,
25,
24,
23,
April:
30,
29,
28,
27,
26,
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01,
May:
31,
30,
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28,
27,
26,
25,
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22,
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19,
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June:
30,
29,
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15,
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09,
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06,
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01,
July:
31,
30,
29,
28,
27,
26,
25,
24,
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22,
21,
20,
19,
18,
17,
16,
15,
14,
13,
12,
11,
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08,
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06,
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August:
20,
18,
16,
15,
14,
13,
11,
10,
09,
08,
07,
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04,
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